Sash-lock.



F. K. HUBER & L. C. HELMCAMP.

SASH LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-7,1915.

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Patented May 2, 1916.

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WITNESSES J. F I edercl; 8

11011.05 ZZHLCQ W ATTO R N EY ETED ddiffid FATE FE FREDERICK K. HUBER AND LOUIS C. HELMCAMP, 0F WAGO, TEXAS.

SASI-I-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed August 7, 1915. Serial No. 44,243.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK K. HUBER and LOUIS G. HELMOAMP, citizens of the United States, residing at Waco, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Sash-Lock, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to sash locks, and its object is to provide a sash lock whereby the two sashes may be secured together at the meeting rails in a manner to hold the meeting rails in close contact, or either sash may be moved away from the locked position to be again locked in any one of a number of positions within a considerable range of travel, or either sash may be moved to the full open position, and on being returned to the closed position will automatically lock therein.

In accordance with the present invention the sash lock comprises two members, one in the form of an elongated notched bar designed to be. secured to the meeting rail of one sash and the other comprising a yieldable latch member designed to be attached to the other meeting rail. The notched member is elongated to an extent corresponding to such opening of the window as may be usually demanded for ventilating purposes, and that end of the notched member remote from the meeting rail is beveled or rounded so as to readily enter a loop of the latch member carried by the other sash, while those sides of the notches directed toward the meetingrail are rounded so that on the movement of either sash toward the closed position the latch member will yield without, however, interfering with its latchingror locking function with respect to any notch.

With such a structure the open window sash may bemovedto the closed position with the assurance that it will automatically lock in the closed position, but may be arrested at any'degree of opening provided for by the length of the notched member with the assurance that the window sash will remain in such partially open position under all ordinary conditions. Moreover, the arrangement is such that the latch member tends to hold the sashes toward each other, so that looseness and consequent rattling are avoided.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showlng of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure l is a vertical section through the meeting rail portion of two associated window sashes with the sash lock applied and shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sash lock with the upper portion of the notched member broken away.

Referring to the .drawings there are shown two window sashes 1, 2 with meeting rails 3, 4, respectively. Mounted on the meeting rail 3 is a bracket 5 with parallel spaced side wings 6, 7, respectively. The wings 6, 7 have each a pair of matching perforations 8, 9, respectively, suitably elevated above the base of the bracket and extending through these perforations are the leg portions of a latch member 10 of U-form having a closed or yoke end 11 beyond the wing 7. The free ends of the legs of the latch member 10 are connected together by a head or button 12 located to one side of the wing 6 on that face thereof remote from the wing 7. The legs of the latch 10 between the head 12 and the wing 6 are surrounded by springs 13 shown as helical springs. Mounted on the meeting rail 4: is a plate 11 from the mid point of which there rises a bar or standard 15 having notches 16 produced in one edge at suitable intervals, usually at regular intervals. Each notch is formed with a right-angular shoulder 17 at one end and a rounded shoulder 18 at the other. That end of the post or bar 15 remote from the plate 14 terminates in a gentle curve 19 on one edge merging into the other edge, which latter edge is the one remote from the notches 16. The notched edge of the bar 15 is located away from the bracket 5 and the bar 15 is so situated on the meeting rail 1 that it may enter and move through the yoke end of the latch member 10. The springs 13 are so adjusted that the upper end of the bar 15, which because of the curved edge 19 terminates in a bevel or pointed end 20, will enter the yoke or loop end of the latch 10, whereupon the latch is forced by the curve 19 toward the notched edge of the bar 15 correspondingly compressing the springs 13. This movement may be continued until the yoke 11 enters the first or highest notch 16. Continued movement of the bar 15 through the loop or yoke end of the latch 10, or of the latch 10 along the bar 15, will cause the yoke 11 to ride over the curved walls 18 of the notches, the springs 13 yielding to such movement. The result is that the latch 10 may be moved along the bar 15 or the latter may be moved through the latch until the meeting rails 3 and 4 are brought into engagement, at which point the yoke 11 will seat in the lowermost notch 16 adjacent to the plate 14.

In Fig. 1 the parts are shown in position where the meeting rails 3 and 1 are in engagement. Under these circumstances the upright wing 7 of the bracket 5 may be very close to the corresponding smooth edge of the bar 15 and the expansive force of the springs 13 then tend to hold the meeting rails in firm engagement, wherefore rattling and drafts are avoided.

The inner wall of the wing 6 is formed with concavities 21 and the outer wall of the button or head 12 is formed with a concavity 22. These concavities provide convenient seats for the thumb and fingers of the hand in the manipulation of the latch member.

Assuming that the window is closed, as shown in Fig. 1 and that it is desired to open the window either by raising the lower sash or lowering the upper sash, pressure is applied to the head or button 12 in a' convenient manner by pressing thereupon with the thumb, while the forefinger or two of the fingers of the hand engage in the concavities 21. This pressure causes a longitudinal movement of the latch 10 sufficient to carry the loop 12 out of the notch 16 in which it is seated. Now either sash may be moved from the closed position to any desirable extent and if this movement be less than the length of the bar 15 the release of the latch 10 will cause the yoke end 11 thereof to seat in a notch 16 opposite which it may be at the time located. This holds the moved sash fixedly to the other sash, but with the moved sash open to a commensurate extent. If it be the upper sash that has been lowered. there is left a space between the upper edge of the upper sash and the top of the window casing. If it be the lower sash which has been raised, there is left a space between the bottom of the lower sash and the bottom of the window casing. In either event ventilating space is provided and neither sash can be opened to a greater extent than that to which the sash is adjusted by the sash lock.

If it be desired to open either sash to a greater extent than is provided for by the length of the bar 15, this is readily accomplished by releasing the latch from the bar 15 and raising or lowering the sash, as the case may be, until the bar 15 is no longer engaged by the latch 10.

If it be assumed that the lower sash has been raised either fully or to a relatively large extent, and it is desired to close the sash, the lifted lower sash is lowered and the pointed end 20 ultimately passes into the loop end of the latch 10. The curved edge 19 engaging the yoke 11 forces the latch against the action of the springs 13 until the yoke 10 is in engagement with the notched edge of the bar 15. Then, by a continued lowering movement of the lower sash the yoke 10 will snap under the action of the springs 13 into the uppermost notch 16 and if the lowering force be still exerted the rounded walls 18 overcome the spring 13, thus causing the yoke 11 to ride out of the notch on to the corresponding long edge of the bar 15 and along said edge to the next notch and so on until the lowermost notch is reached, at which point the meeting rails 3 and 1 come together and further lowering movement of the lower window sash is arrested. However the two sashes are then eifectively locked together since the upper sash cannot be lowered, nor can the lower sash be raised for the right angle shoulder 17 of the notch in which the yoke is seated proof by properly locating the bracket 5 with relation to the plate 14 and this bracket 5 may be even made to slightly override the meeting rail 1, wherefore no space is available for the introduction of any means to throw the latch.

It sometimes happens that some obstructive matter finds lodgment'on the window casing in the path of the bottom of the lower sash. In such case an ordinary sash lock has no use and many times the sash lock will be thrown to the locked position under the impression that the window sash is lowered to the proper point. The sash, therefore. remains in the unlocked condition. With the sash lock of the present invention an obstruction has no effect at all upon the locking of the sash for even though the sash is not fully lowered it is still effectively locked.

The bar 15 may be of a length permitting the locking of the sash in any positionwithin a limited range, say, of from six to eight inches. Any obstruction which might find loclgment on'the window sill so as to inter:-

fere with the proper closing of the sash would be surely noticeable if six or eight inches high, but if of only slight height the sash becomes effectively locked although so far open as to render an ordinary sash lock useless.

What is claimed is 2- 1. A sash lock comprising an elongated bar having means at one end for attaching it to the meeting rail of a sash and provided along one long edge with a series of spaced notches, and another latch member comprising a bracket adapted to be fastened to the meeting rail of the other sash, said bracket having spaced perforations therethrough, and a yoke having its legs extending through the perforations with the closed end of the yoke embracing the notched bar and adapted to enter any one of the notches therein and said yoke having a manipulating head at the end remote from the closed end of the yoke with springs surrounding the legs of the yoke between the head and the bracket, the head constituting a joining, spacing and stiffening means for those ends of the legs of the yoke remote from the closed end of said yoke.

2. A sash lock comprising an elongated bar having means at one end for attaching it to the meeting rail of a sash and the other end reduced in width from one edge of the bar toward the other, and said bar having the first-named edge provided with a series of spaced notches each having one wall in substantially right-angular relation to the edge of the bar and the other wall curved away from the first-named wall, and another latch member comprising a bracket with parallel wings having matching perforations therethrough and a latch member traversing the perforations and formed at one end into a yoke adapted to embrace the bar and enter in one of the notches and said latch member having a manipulating head at the end remote from the yoke with spring means interposed between the head and the corresponding wing of the bracket, and said head and the adjacent wing of the bracket being formed into seats for the thumb and one or more fingers of the hand.

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK K. HUBER. LOUIS C. HELMCAMP.

Witnesses:

TOM M. HAMILTON, J. L. Norms.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

